Praveen Sharma Poop 01

We all know about the Gillian Welch’s, the Radioheads, the Strokes, etc. I decided that my contribution to the Poop List would be most effective if I shed some light on some other releases which I hope, during some rare period of compulsive, adventurous buying, a few of you may give a chance. And in no particular order…

1. The Other People Place: Lifestyles of the Laptop Cafe
Actually produced by Drexcyia under another alias, this album has brought about a murmuring Detroit techno revival to the “four to the floor” masses. It’s perfectly vocoded vocal tracks and futurist, dystopian melodies compliment the tried and true sounds of the Roland 808.

2. Richie Hawtin:DE9 Closer to the edit
Incredibly deep and charming, this is, hands down, the best mix CD I have heard. Ever. The album’s concept is to cut hundreds of snippets from previously produced tracks, edit them and meld them together into something new, utilizing a cutting edge Turntable / Computer hybrid. Having seen him recreate the feel of this CD live, I must say it is absolutely brilliant.

3. Four Tet:Pause
Pastoral and sweet, side one of this album is one to listen to while relaxing-with anice glass of red wine and a cigar. Not that I’d know anything about that. The use of instruments, sampled and not, is very well done by this former (?) Fridge member.

4. Two Lone Swordsmen: Locked Swords
A fantastic addition to their Remix album, Farther Reminders, this-release consists of two identical records with plenty of loops and sounds to keep a tech-happy DJ satisfied for a
long, long time. Phasing is fun.

5. Beneath Autumn Sky: Enki-Dus Mono
Moody instrumental Hip Hop with tight snares and loose bass. Reminiscent of the more moody releases on Ninja Tune and a bit of Prefuse 73 thrown in for good measure.

6. BEST SINGLE Squarepusher: Untitled
My god-who ever knew Tom could squeeze every last drop out of the best bits of “Go Plastic” fit it on to one side, and make it Sound even better than most of the original album?

7. Pete Rock: Petestrumentals
The most inspiring, perfectly tuned and subtly booty moving instrumental record I heard last year. Jazzy, smooth and familiar, but not boring.

8. Yesterday’s New Quintet: Angles without Edges
Mad Lib does it again. I recommend this album to anyone who appreciates Jazz, and the technology of today. Don’t think that this is reminiscent of Mad Lib’s Quasimoto project (which is great BTW)-this is a very different beast. An unknowing listener could easily mistake this as the late and great Jazz musicians resurrected for one last album.

9. BEST COMPILATIONV.A.: Hefty Records – Immediate Action
The one underlying factor throughout this. great compilation is the amount of attention paid to detail and atmosphere. The home of Savath and Savalas.What more can I say?

10.Markus Guentner:In Moll
One of the few ambient CDs which has truly made an impact on me. The subdued melodic textures and filtered percussion effectively induce a dreamy state in which you will forget all about Kompakt’s previous mediocre releases.

11. Prefuse 73: Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives
The prolific Scott Herren mixes sharply produced Hip Hop with his invasive style of destroying vocal tracks. Words and sentences are chopped into syllables, stutter and weave in and out of the looping songs before ultimately collapsing inwards due to the limitations of Scott’s sampler. Great sounds and style.

12.Mum:Yesterday was Dramatic – Today is ok
This album is the result of melancholy, 8-bit Nintendo and your childhood attention span thrown into a blender. Lots of clicks and beeps. Whimsical and at times elated.

13.Autechre:Confield
For me, this was the most fulfilling album of 2001. After about the eighth listen, the melody begins to materialize and all of a sudden the strange, mechanical rhythm takes control of your movement and you become a robot. Yay. Not quite listener-friendly, but well manufactured nonetheless.

14. Bjork: Vespertine
(Wo)Man and Machine together at last. Matmos’ production is like a squeejie to Bjork’s sometimes impish, yet powerful voice.

MOVIE OF THE YEAR:DJ Qbert’s Wave Twisters (Visual Brain Cartridge)
Everyone must see this movie. A work of turntablist art taking place in an animated world where words are spoken with scratched vocals and intergalactic wars are fought through DJ Battles. Hilarious.